Ok, I know this palette is better suited for fall than February, but I was really inspired by this combination of terra cotta, spruce, gray (with a hint of green), and mustard yellow. The photo, taken in 2016 by Elissa Robinson, was part of a gorgeous holiday shoot she did for two wonderful shops: Bomisch and Spoon + Hook. Mmm…I’m ready to curl up into these colors and read a book!

CORAL CLAY #D2A08C / TERRA COTTA #9A562E / SPRUCE #244440

GRAY WITH GREEN #86897E / MUSTARD YELLOW #BB9337

WHAT ARE THESE COLOR CODES? The “hex codes” above are provided as a courtesy for those customizing website colors or looking for general color inspiration. They are not based on paint or Pantone chips. Remember that ink on paper will never look the same as light on a screen. If you like a combination you see, we recommend saving the image and heading to your local hardware store to find paint chips that match. Digital colors will change depending on your phone/tablet/computer screen, so be sure to color match with real swatches. Also, I make up all the color names.

Now that you’ve seen the rebrand for Sarah Ainsworth Photography, I’d like to share a Q&A I had with her after her projects wrapped up. Learn about how she got started, where she dreams of working, and what she thought of the [re]branding process below!

I’m excited to share Sarah Ainsworth Photography’s rebrand and Squarespace website launch! Sarah is not only a sweet (and extremely detail-oriented person), she is also an experienced wedding photographer who provides timeless, true to color images to couples in love. After being in business for 10 years, she knew she had outgrown her original branding, website, and blog, but didn’t have the time to do an overhaul herself.

Some of the cacti on our porch are blooming right now, and I’m loving the tiny pops of color. It’s amazing how such small plants can produce such [relatively] big, beautiful blooms. Here’s a gradient of green to brighten up winter for you!

ALGAE GREEN #1E5B5E / TEAL GREEN #3C8478 / SOFT GREEN #94BDAB

LIGHT SPRING GREEN #C7DAC4 / GRAY #D4CBC2

WHAT ARE THESE COLOR CODES? The “hex codes” above are provided as a courtesy for those customizing website colors or looking for general color inspiration. They are not based on paint or Pantone chips. Remember that ink on paper will never look the same as light on a screen. If you like a combination you see, we recommend saving the image and heading to your local hardware store to find paint chips that match. Digital colors will change depending on your phone/tablet/computer screen, so be sure to color match with real swatches. Also, I make up all the color names.

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! If you’ve worked with me in recent months, I’m crossing my fingers you received one of these cards in the mail this week. It’s not fresh flowers or a box of chocolates, but I wanted to express my gratitude in a small, but hopefully meaningful way. Without you, this business I love so much would not be possible, so THANK YOU for giving me work! And, if we haven’t worked together [YET], please know that I’m grateful for you, too. Whether this is the first post you’ve ever read on our site (or the tenth), thank you very much for being here!

On to the DIY! I’ve been itching to use these gold scratch-off stickers for weeks, and I finally had a chance to design a simple card for them. They turned out pretty cute, so I thought I’d share the printable file with you.

P.S. Don’t worry. The printable file below does NOT include “XO Nikki Akula Kreative.” I left it blank. :)

Print as many sheets of cards as you like. (1 sheet prints 4 flat cards.)

Trim along the gray lines.

Write your message on the “blank” balloon, then cover it with a sticker.You may also want to write a note outside of the balloons explaining that the gold one needs to be scratched off with a coin. ;)

Mail to your BFF, significant other, family member, or client!

As always, these printables are free for personal use only and may not be redistributed, copied, or sold. Please share the project with a link to this post. Tag us on Instagram with @akulakreative, #akulakreative.

Axel Oswith has a collection of stunning—and, sometimes, a teensy bit disturbing—photographs that explore color, texture, and shape, including this inspiring image! It celebrates so many things that I love :: paper, deep green, and pale pink. Wouldn’t this make a fantastic color palette for a modern beauty brand?!

DARK, DARK GREEN #182C2B / MODERN GREEN #2F4C4C / LIGHT GRAY #DFDADE

DUSTY PINK #F1C1BD / ANTIQUE PINK #CA6C68

WHAT ARE THESE COLOR CODES? The “hex codes” above are provided as a courtesy for those customizing website colors or looking for general color inspiration. They are not based on paint or Pantone chips. Remember that ink on paper will never look the same as light on a screen. If you like a combination you see, we recommend saving the image and heading to your local hardware store to find paint chips that match. Digital colors will change depending on your phone/tablet/computer screen, so be sure to color match with real swatches. Also, I make up all the color names.

Today’s color inspiration is extra exciting because A) I LOVE this rich yet unexpected combination of burnt sienna, gold, peach, and taupe, and B) the image is part of a DIY post that shows you how to make your own styling board. I followed this exact tutorial to make a styling board of my own, and I use it all the time! You can see it used here, here, and here. If you’d like additional tips, read to the end of this post!

BURNT SIENNA #6A1605 / CHESTNUT #9A4B0E / YELLOW GOLD #CA9B3B

PEACH #F5D3C1 / TAUPE #E2D8CF

WHAT ARE THESE COLOR CODES? The “hex codes” above are provided as a courtesy for those customizing website colors or looking for general color inspiration. They are not based on paint or Pantone chips. Remember that ink on paper will never look the same as light on a screen. If you like a combination you see, we recommend saving the image and heading to your local hardware store to find paint chips that match. Digital colors will change depending on your phone/tablet/computer screen, so be sure to color match with real swatches. Also, I make up all the color names.

A Few Spackled Styling Board Tips:

I used more spackle (aka, premixed drywall compound) than I anticipated, so I had to make a second trip to the store. I recommend buying at least a size up from the mini container…just in case.

I got a little carried away spackling, so my layer was pretty thick. As it dried (and subsequently shrank) on my wood board, it actually made the wood bend. This isn’t a huge deal, but my board is no longer perfectly level. If you want to prevent this from happening, use your spackle sparingly.

My over-spackled board required a LOT of time to dry. I left it overnight and it was still a little tacky. It seriously took about 48 hours to dry completely!

The “white” spackle I used wasn’t a very bright white once it dried. So, I added some white acrylic paint and that helped brighten it up a bit.

Before we dive into HOW and WHEN to brand your business, it’s imperative we ask ourselves :: What, exactly, is branding?

Branding is, in one word, your reputation. It’s the unspoken introduction to your product or service. You won’t always be around to pitch to potential customers, so it’s important your branding makes the BEST first impression possible.

Seth Godin writes, “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Yep. Highlight that part about accounting for a “consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.” THIS is why you need to care about branding. Without effective branding, people won’t know what you’re selling or why it’s worth their time or money.

If my 2019 New Years Resolution wasn’t “spend less,” this luxury pencil set would be packaged up and on its way to me. (Though, now that I think about it, I’d probably never use these glorious writing instruments. I’d treat them how I treated my prize stickers when I was little :: save them in a box somewhere, lose them in a move, then cry that I never got to use them.)

MARIGOLD #DB9B3F / ERASER PINK #F5BAAD / EUROPEAN BLUE #BBC2C8

BLUE-GRAY #6E8692 / DARK BLUE-GRAY #3D515C

WHAT ARE THESE COLOR CODES? The “hex codes” above are provided as a courtesy for those customizing website colors or looking for general color inspiration. They are not based on paint or Pantone chips. Remember that ink on paper will never look the same as light on a screen. If you like a combination you see, we recommend saving the image and heading to your local hardware store to find paint chips that match. Digital colors will change depending on your phone/tablet/computer screen, so be sure to color match with real swatches. Also, I make up all the color names.

I’d like to offer some free advice based on 10 years of experience as a graphic designer/business owner. I want to teach you how to find the RIGHT designer to brand your business. (And no, it may not be me!)